Ciena is looking for a Field Application Engineer Interconnect to provide technical leadership and drive the adoption of our Interconnects portfolio. This role engages directly with hyperscalers, AI/compute system partners, and OEM/ODM customers in North America, bridging deep technical expertise with commercial strategy to influence product requirements and accelerate design-win cycles.
What You'll Do
- Provide pre-sales technical leadership for Ciena's Interconnects portfolio across hyperscalers, OEMs, and AI/compute system partners.
- Lead lab bring-up, debug, interoperability validation, configuration, and performance testing.
- Translate customer system architectures and requirements into technical solutions and roadmap inputs.
- Support quoting decisions, technical documentation, product collateral, compliance materials, and solution configuration.
- Partner with BD and account teams to guide complex design-win cycles from evaluation to production.
- Serve as primary technical interface for proof-of-concepts, interoperability events, compliance, and early deployments.
- Deliver technical workshops, product demos, architecture sessions, and executive-level technical briefings.
- Provide competitive intelligence, ecosystem developments, and silicon/optics trends to influence PLM and roadmap alignment.
- Support post-sales issue triage with R&D, sustaining engineering, and quality teams — ensuring customer success during scale-up.
- Advocate for customer requirements while balancing PLM strategy, roadmap alignment, and commercial constraints.
What We're Looking For
- 7–12 years in FAE, solutions engineering, high-speed hardware, optical interconnect, silicon bring-up, or datacenter systems engineering.
- Deep familiarity with one or more of: DSP/retimer, SERDES, optics/pluggables, AEC/ACC, PCIe, Ethernet, high-speed test equipment.
- Experience working directly with hyperscalers (AWS, Google, Meta, Microsoft, etc.) and/or major OEMs (Cisco, Arista, HPE/Juniper, etc.).
- Hands-on debugging with oscilloscopes, BERTs, IBIS-AMI, simulation, or signal integrity tools.
- Ability to engage simultaneously at engineering depth and executive clarity.
- BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or similar required.
- Strong communication, documentation, and presentation skills — able to translate between engineering, PLM, and commercial audiences.
Nice to Have
- MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or similar preferred.
Technical Stack
- DSP/retimer
- SERDES
- Optics/pluggables
- AEC/ACC
- PCIe
- Ethernet
- Oscilloscopes
- BERTs
- IBIS-AMI
- Signal integrity tools
Team & Environment
You'll partner with BD and account teams and serve as the primary technical interface for customers. You'll also work closely with R&D, sustaining engineering, and quality teams.
Benefits & Compensation
- Medical, dental, and vision plans
- Participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching
- Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Company-paid holidays
- Paid sick leave
- Vacation time
- Paid Family Leave
- Other leaves of absence
- Compensation: $208,600 - $333,200 USD (California annual pay range)
Work Mode
This is a hybrid role open to candidates in North America.
Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
